Self-complementing gas counter tube



R; B. KOEHLER Er AL 2,782,336

SELFQCOMPLEMENTING cAs COUNTER TUBE F eb. 19, 1957 Filed Dec. '8, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. 5

IN V EN TORS ROBERT B. KOEHLER RICHARD K RICHARDS s baw/ AGENT 0 R. B. KOEHLER ET AL SELF-COMPLEMENTING GAS COUNTER TUBE Feb. 19, 1957 Filed Dec. 8, 1953 2 Sheets- Sheet 2 FIG .3

INVENTORS ROBERT B KOEHLER RICHARD K. RICHARDS m AGENT SELF-COMPLEMENTEQ G GAS COUNTER TUBE Robert B. Koehler, Hopewell Junction,.and. Richard K.

Richards, Poughkeepsie, N. Y.,,assignors tolnternational. Business Machines. Corporation, New York, N 5 Y., a corporationofNew York ApplicationDecernber- 8, 1953, Serial No. 396 -804 6 Claims. (c1; sis-49s 1 This invention relates to multircathode glow discharge devices and more. particul'arlyto a gaseouszcounter tube for effecting storage of positive and'negative digital values. The improved counter tube is. of the type disclosed in the copending United States patent. application, Serial No. 301,675,. which was filed July 30, 1952, on behalf of Richard K. Richards.

Devices of the type disclosed in the above identified application comprise, in general, an array of electrodes adapted for use. as glow cathodes and a single anode arranged in cooperative relation with and common to each of the cathode electrodes. cumulator, ten digit representing cathodes and ten transfer cathodes are alternately interspersed with one an: other to form a closed glow transfer. path having ten stable glow discharge positions. Tencomplement .cathodes are provided, with pairs interspersed between certain of said. digit cathodes representative of complement val-v ues, in providing the self-complementing features which are described in the aforementioned application.

An object of thev present invention. is to provide an improved cathode structure for gaseouscounter tubes whereby transfer of the glow discharge from one electrode to another may be effected at increased speed and with increased reliability,

In accordance with another feature of theinventio'n. an

improved electrode and supporting structure is provided whereby the tube elements lend themselves readily to quantity production and retain stable characteristics for increased operating periods.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an improved electrode insulating means for confining the glow discharge to a particular area of cathode surface, which insulation means is capable of withstanding. high temperatures, has a low vapor pressure and is suiliciently durable to undergo mass production processes.

Another object of'the invention is to provide a cathode structure having a'n'improved glow transfer mechaw msm. e

A still further. object is. to. provide a glow transfer storage tube having a more simplified and sturdy. con:

struction and requiring little or no special tooling-to make the componentparts.

Other objects and features of the invention willbe pointed out in the following description and claims and illustrated in the accompanying'drawings, which disclose, by way of example, the principle of the invention and the best mode, which has been contemplated ofapplying that principle.

Iii the drawings, which consist of two sheets, having five figures:

Fig. l is a diagrammatic view of the electrode arrangement of a selfcomplementing glow counter tube showing the circuit connections.

' Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of the tube with a portion of the envelope broken away and showing the improved structure.

Fig. 3 is a view of the tube at right angles to the sec- 2,782,335 Patented Feb. 19,1357

tion-inFigure 2- and showing additional; features of electrode; structure and mounting details.

' v Fig. .4 illustrates a single cathode. element with transfer wire and. circuit connector lead attached priorto bending andsecuringto. a supporting member.- Fig.. S is a greatly enlarged View of.-several electrodes showing the mounting tabs; andtransfer wires;

Referring now to the: drawings, the glow discharge device. illustrated-in Figure lcomprises ten; digit, rep? resentingv cathodes D-0-to 'D-9 inclusive, representing thedigits 0-9 respectively, ten. transfer cathodes "1-0 to T 9 inclusive, ten complement cathodes-C4) to 6-9 inelusive, and a common. anode. A equidistant from .the

endsofeach of the several cathodes andrepresented; .by

a rectangle.

Transfer wire t are provided to eifect transfer of the glow. discharge therealong from the cathode adjacent the free end .to the .cathodeato which the other end is at-v cached,v when an appropriatevoltage difference exists between. the two cathodess The. anode. A is connected through a resistor, not

7 shown, tea suitable source of positive voltage indicated In a decimaltype acas .terminal.B+. Thecomplement cathodes C-tl to C-9 inclusive, are connected together and to a terminal C. The digit. representingrcathodes 13-1 to D-8 inclusive are connected. together and toa suitable source of voltage, less. positive than B+ at a terminal 1). The digit representing. cathodes D-tl to D-9 are connected to output terminals F and G respectively, which are connectedto thesame source of voltageto which the D4 to D-8 cathodes. areconnectedthrough other resistances, not; shown. The transfer cathodes T4) toT -9' inclusive, are connected? together and I to: a terminal T.

The manner of operation of the tube is. described-in detail in theaforementioned, application and will be. but. brieilydiscussedhere; Initially, the-terminalF is pulsedmegatively and a single .stable glow discharge, is establishedbetween the cathode. D4) and the. anode A. Aa'negative pulse to be stored in the tube is thereafter appliedto the terminal T and the voltage diflerencebe tween the transfer cathode T1 and the anode A be comes greater thanthat between cathode D-tl and the anode so that the glow transfers along the associated transfer wire-t tothecathode T-l. As the negative pulse terminates, the voltage-between cathode T-l and the anode. becomes less than that. between cathode D-i and the anode and the glow accordingly again transfers along the transfer wire I attached to cathode D-1 and exists stably at this latter cathode position until a succeeding pulse is applied to the terminal T. A similar transfer occurs with each input pulse applied and the glow is stepped .along from one D cathodeto another in succession. On arrival at cathode D-9 this cathode goesmore positive and then becomes lesspositive as the tenth-pulse is applied, completing one cycle of operation and producing an indication of this condition on terminal G. While an output signal is taken from the the 13-9 cathode, as illustrated, it ,is obvious that any other one or ones of the cathodes may be used for output purposes by connecting them separately. W

r If the digit stored-is in true form it may be converted to itsnines complement by pulsing the terminal C negatively.- This causes the existing glow to prefer. the C cathode and migrate along the associated transfer Wire tattached thereto. Thereafter, as the complement pulse terminates, the glow moves along the transfer wire r attached to the D cathoderepresenting the nines complement value of the stored digit and remains stably at i associated C cathodes andthence to the original D cathode position in a like manner.

Referring now to Figure 2, the cathodes shown schematically in Fig. 1 as tubular elements are seen to be generally U-shaped and are supported on strips 11 of mica or other suitable insulating material, which are in turn mounted within an envelope E. The cathodes are shown in the same relative positions as in Figure 1 and are mounted alternately on opposite sides of the strips 11 so that the mica supports function additionally, as shield members and prevent random glow transfer between adjacent electrodes. The cathodes are arranged on four strips 11 and are atfixed thereto by means of tabs 12 which pass through perforations in the mica and are clinched as shown in greater detail in Figure 5. The mica strips are positioned with respect to each other by spacing bars at each end of the structure and which are labeled elements s.

A lateral view of the arrangement is shown in Figure 3 and in this illustration it may be seen that the upper ends of the U-shaped elements are formed at an angle. The purpose of this structural feature is to provide a direction of preferred glow transfer or so called preference mechanism as it has been determined that a glow existing between the anode and inner surface of the U-shaped member tends to emerge from the latter in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the opening. The free end of a transfer wire may then be placed in a more reliable region of the glow discharge and the overall operation and stability of the tube enhanced.

The glow discharge is confined to the interior surface of the cathode to prevent random transfer and the cathode is made relatively long to permit operation at high current magnitudes, about four milliarnpreres for the inch length employed. Elimination of glow discharge from the exterior electrode surface has heretofore been accomplished by coating the exterior withcarbon, as described in detail in the application of Richard K. Richards, Serial No. 192,199, which was filed Octo- While there have been shown and described and pointed out the fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to a preferred embodiment, it will be understood that various omissions and substitutions and changes in the form and details of the device illustrated and in its operation may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention. It is the intention, therefore, to be limited only as indicated by the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A gaseous discharge storage tube of the glow transfer type wherein a glow discharge is sequentially transferred from one preselected position to another to store digit representing electrical impulses including, an anode, a plurality of aluminum cathodes formed as elongated U-shaped electrodes, a coating of anodized aluminum oxide on the exterior surfaces of said cathodes to confine a glow discharge between said anode and said cathher 26, 1950. The carbon coating, however, being a conductive material was found to sustain a glow discharge at indeterminate periods and aluminum cathodes having anodized exterior surfaces have beenfound to produce improved results. The anodizing process provides a dense translucent coating of insulating oxide about 0.001 inch thick which has a low vapor pressure and is capable of withstanding high temperatures with out deterioration as in an outgassing process or under prolonged tube operation.

Forming the cathode electrodes as U-shaped members mounted by tabs, in the manner described, facilitates quantity production of the glow counter tube as the mica support strips 11 and the cathodes may be readily formed by stamping or other like processes. A cathode 13 similar to the D and T cathodes and formed as a flat element from a sheet of aluminum anodized on onesurface, is shown in Figure 4. The layer of anodized material is indicated by a label 15. The manufacturing steps thereafter include chemical cleaning followed by washing and drying to remove the oxides produced by normal exposure to air and other undesirable materials adhering to the active cathode surfaces in handling. Cleaning may be accomplished by immersion in a solution of HNO and HF or in a commercial degreasing and 'deoxidizing bath. The chemical cleaning process provides a suitable surface to which the transfer wire I and acircuit connector lead 14 are welded. These leads are formed of platinum and nickel respectively, however odes to the interior surfaces of the latter, a plurality of insulating strips, means supporting said cathodes on said strips including tabs on said U-shaped electrodes whereby the upper ends of each of said cathodes are equidistantly spaced from said anode.

2. A gaseous discharge storage tube comprising an envelope, at least one insulating support strip mounted within said envelope, a plurality of elongated U-shaped cathode electrodes supported on said strip by means of tabs, a glow transfer wire for each said cathode having one end affixed to said cathode and a free end extending in proximity to a region of stable glow discharge of an adjacent cathode, and an anode arranged in said envelope equidistant from one end of each of said cathodes.

3. A gaseous discharge tube as set forth in claim 2 wherein said U-shaped cathodes are afiixed to said strip in such a manner that a cylindrical volume is enclosed and the upper end of said U-shaped electrode is formed at an angle other than to the longitudinal axis of the electrode.

4. A gaseous discharge storage tube comprising an envelope, a plurality of elongated cylindrical cathode elements mounted within said envelope each having one end thereof formed at an angle other than 90 to its longitudinal axis, an anode mounted within said envelope and arranged equidistant from the angled ends of each of said cathodes, and a glow transfer wire for each of said cathodes having one end afiixed to the associated cathode at a point thereon nearest said anode and a free end extending in proximity to the angledend of an adjacent cathode.

5. A gaseous discharge storage tube of the glow transfer typewherein a glow discharge is sequentially transferred from one preselected position to another, a plurality of cathodes arranged in a closed glow transfer path, said cathodes being formed as elongated U-shaped members each having one end thereof formed at an angle other than 90 to its longitudinal axis, an anode arranged equidistant from the angled ends of each of said cathodes, and a glow transfer wire for each of said cathodes having one end affixed to the associated cathode at a point thereon nearest said anode and a free end extending in proximity to the angled end ,of an adjacent cathode.

6. A gaseous discharge storage tube comprising an envelope, at least one insulating mica support strip mounted within said envelope, a plurality of elongated U-shaped aluminum cathode electrodes supported on said strip by means of tabs and with alternate'ones of said electrodes positioned on opposite sides of said strip, a coating on the exterior surface of said cathodes comprising anodized aluminum oxidewhereby a glow discharge is confined to the interior surface thereof, each of said cathode electrodes having one end formed atan angle other than 90 to its longitudinal axis, an anode mounted within said envelope and positioned equidistant from the angled ends of each ofPsaid cathodes, a glow transfer 9 wire for each of said cathodes having one end affixed to the associated cathode at a point thereon nearest said anode and a free end extending over said mica strip in References Cited in the file of this patent proximity to the angled end of an adjacent cathode'elec- 5 216211313 trode.

UNITED STATES PATENTS Radcliif Jan. 15, 1946 Steinberg Dec. 9, 1952 Batzle Jan. 13, 1953 

